


Hello Again.

by NerdInATrenchcoat



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, M/M, awkward internal thoughts, mechanic!Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-03 21:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10975869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdInATrenchcoat/pseuds/NerdInATrenchcoat
Summary: Castiel might be exaggerating his car troubles, just a little bit.





	Hello Again.

_Come on, come on!_  
The beat up '78 Lincoln jerked forward a couple inches before it whimpered to a stop. _No no no!_ The tired and disheveled pet store worker/writer stomped furiously (and pointlessly) on the gas pedal. _Why me?_  
He used the GPS on his phone to find the nearest auto shop, luckily there was one only 0.5 miles away. _I refuse to waste money on a tow truck._ So he put it into drive, got out, and pushed. For a little dude, he was pretty strong.  
_I just wanted to go to the grocery store._ Clouds started building above the empty street as he heaved and shoved, slowly budging the rickety vehicle down the road. Profanities were spewed as the clouds above grew darker. _I swear to God if it rains-_ a low rumble mocked him from above, it started sprinkling. _Wonderful._  
As he made his way closer to salvation, the rain beat down harder, gaining weight on the determined man's back as he forced the source of his troubles forward. _You may have given up on me, but I won't give up on you, not yet at least._  
Before he knew it, he was walking in the front door of Benny's Auto Repair, panting as water dripped from his lucky-but-worn trenchcoat. He was the epitome of a wet dog.  
"Hello!" He called out into the musty air, "Is anyone here?"  
A voice called from further into the shop, it was sweet honey compared to the soaked man's raspy articulations.  
"Yep! Back here," _Finally, something goes right._  
The man shook off as much water as he could, wiping his feet on the weak attempt at a welcome mat.  
He started walking towards the noises, drills and shrilling sounds filled the small space. All he could see was a masked man with a blow torch and jeans having at a metal structure he couldn't name. (You could say there were sparks.)  
After blow torch guy turned off the flame, everything else was in slow motion, his clearly toned body standing up to meet the trenchcoated man-who was growing slightly cold, but didn't notice-and removed his mask in the most attractive way possible. He took in a sharp breathe, _holy mother of-_  
"So what can I do you for?" The beautiful man- _no, Adonis_ asked with a charming smile that could make anyone swoon.  
The name on his work shirt spelt, "Dean".  
_My car should break down more often..._  
"Uh, yes, right. Well, _Dean_ , my car is outside and I believe the engine may be damaged." He sputtered out.  
After Dean and the only other man who appeared to be working there that day managed to bring the car into the garage, the real fun began.  
"Alright, Mr...?" Dean began, questioningly.  
"Novak, but you can call me Castiel-er, Cas, for short." _Godamnit what am I saying??_  
This Dean character seemed amused, "Well Castiel-er Cas For Short, tell me what happened with the old lady here." He teased, referring to the car, seeming perfectly comfortable, or at least in Castiel's anxiety-ridden eyes.  
Cas continued to tell Dean of his troubling endeavors that Sunday afternoon, the car giving out, the stubborn decision of pushing it down the street, _"It was only half a mile,"_ the worst-timed-possible-rain, "And here I am. Hello again." He gave a slight wave, which Dean may or may not have found adorable.  
"Funnily enough it used to be my grandmother's, before she, well..." Castiel trailed off.  
But he spoke again before Dean could respond, "bought a better one, got herself one of those cute VW Bugs." A sly smile crept on his lips. Dean looked down and grinned.  
"Now wait just a second, you're telling me you pushed this thing, by yourself, half a mile _in the rain_?!" He was both shocked and impressed.  
Cas nodded humbly, "The road was slicker..."  
"You must secretly be ripped under that coat of yours." Dean jested, _or is it flirting perhaps?_ Cas could never tell.  
"Oh man," Dean paused, "I'm so sorry, where are my manners? You must be freezing!" _I suppose I'm a bit chilly._  
He kindly mentioned, "The bathroom is down that hall if you want, I'm sure I can find a clean towel somewhere-"  
"That's a very generous offer, but I think a minute under the blow torch will do just fine." _Thank goodness, I said it correctly._  
A few more jokes and kind gestures later, Dean was opening the hood of the vehicle for inspection.  
 "Let's take a peek at this baby shall we?" He rhetorically asked.  
A blanketed Cas sat nearby, curious about several things, including: his car, Dean's own car, and Dean's _not his car._  
"So what was it you had been working on before I arrived?" He non-rhetorically asked, not wanting to invade privacy.  
As the clearly skilled mechanic shined a light at the hood, checking switches and the engine most likely (Castiel didn't actually care), he responded promptly. "Just _my_ Baby over there," he vaguely motioned to what Cas assumed was the also old-fashioned car (like Cas's), shimmering black like it's the Crown Jewels. He could hardly believe it when he found out it was older than his car.  
They chatted about their work and Cas told him about the pet store and his Guinea pig, 'But I write whenever I have free time,' he told him. _Maybe I'll write about this._ They shared laughs and Cas forgot any negative feelings he had before he met this _freckled hunk with a black smudge on his forehead._  
After some light-hearted conversing and clinking around Cas's car, Dean emerges from the front seat and faces him.  
"Hey, uh, Cas? How long has your Check Engine light been blinking?"  
Cas scrunches his face slightly, "Is that what that light is for?"  
Dean sighs, "Grab a pencil and paper, time for a lesson on auto-mechanics." He walked over to the hood of the car and leaned his ear towards it.  
"What are we listening for?" Dean didn't realize Cas was right behind him and jumped.  
"Ah!" He took a breath, "Just shh." And they waited.  
Dean finally spoke, "Well, I have a diagnosis."  
Castiel waited in suspense, _oh no, is it serious? Is she going to be okay?_  
"You've got an evaporative leak." Dean stated matter-of-factly.  
"A what?"  
Dean explained to him with terms such as 'gas cap' and 'liquid-vapor separator' how a leak can happen. _Kinda hot when he talks all mechanical._  
"I don't see these very often," he referred to what was apparently a 'cracked hose' in the hood.  
"Is it bad?" Castiel asked with worry.  
"It's not if you don't drive and hate the environment."  
Cas's face filled with horror, "Hey don't worry buddy, it's a simple fix."  
Dean walked to a drawer and pulled out some duct-tape, "Just gotta cover this up, and I can order you a new hose for tomorrow." He gave Cas a reassuring smile.  
"Oh, so it's okay for me to drive now?" He needed to be able to get to work tomorrow if he was going to pay for car repairs.  
"Yeah, for now. Should take you to and from work no problem, but you might want some more fuel."  
Castiel sighed with relief, _thank you God, I'm sorry I swore at you._  
"So just stop on by after work and I should be able to fix 'er right up for ya." Dean winked with a grin. _Hot damn._

* * *

 

Monday afternoon, after a long day of small animal droppings and children begging their parents, 'Please! I'll take good care of them!' _I'm sure you would._ Castiel remembered that he had- _no, GOT to_ -go back to the auto shop to fix his car. _Never thought I'd be so happy to be having car troubles._  
The day was clearer as he made his way to the front door once again, this time he noticed more detail of the rustic repair place that Cas was only vaguely aware existed until 24 hours ago.  
He creaked the door open and called out, "Hello again! I'm back for the new....hose?" He looked around for the _dazzling_ green eyes of Dean the Mechanic.  
"Awesome! You're just in time, it just arrived." Dean motioned over to Cas as he opened a cardboard box eagerly. "Love new parts, fresh smell of rubber in the afternoon grinds your gear just right." Dean pauses a moment to think about what he just said, "Anyway."  
Cas blushes as his car is brought in again, this time he takes note of the other man working and his name, "Benny," _Ah, the owner._ Benny helped Dean replace the broken hose by handing him all sorts of tools- _seems like a bit more than necessary, but they're the experts_ -like a torque wrench and an impact wrench and all sorts of wrenches. Before he knew it, Dean was telling Cas to 'sit up front and start 'er up'.  
"Oh, yes," _sorry, Mr. Distracting._  
He sat in the front seat and tried starting the engine, she hummed pleasantly and Cas assumed the repair was successful. _Thank goodness._  
"Thank you Dean, your help was very much needed." Castiel tried to show gratitude without sounding stupid.  
"Anytime buddy, you know what, here," Dean handed him a small business card with his information on it. _Castiel Winchester, that doesn't sound too bad. Oh shit I should stop._  
"Th-thank you very much." He managed to say.  
"No, thank you, gave me a great story to tell. Feel free to come back if she gives you any more trouble."  
"I'll be sure to take you up on that offer."  
Dean smiled, _oh sweet eye crinkles_ -"Come back soon! But not too soon," he teased.

* * *

 _Two days isn't too soon, right?_  
Castiel was itching to see this guy again, "I know Petunia, but he's so-you should've been there." He swooned.  
The uncaring Guinea pig continued eating.  
"You know know what? You're right, my left blinker barely works anyway, I'm going back." And he was off.

* * *

"Hello again." He timidly spoke as he watched Dean putting away some paperwork at the front desk by the entrance.  
Dean grinned at the sight of him, surprised, "Well howdy stranger, back so soon?" _Damnit, I knew I should've waited._  
"Y-yes, I-uh, one of my blinkers is broken." _Why am I so nervous all of a sudden?_  
After checking out the problematic vehicle once again, Dean spoke, "Good thing you came back buddy, looks like the fuse box is blown."  
"Really?" _Really?_  
"Yep, but don't worry, putting in a new one should take 30, 60 minutes tops." He assured him.  
_Perfect._  
Castiel watched him work and admired every smooth move he made as he worked like, well, _as_ a pro.  
"Damnit!" Dean's head bumped the car hood, _don't laugh, don't laugh._  
Cas let out a chuckle, "What're you laughing at?" Dean imposed.  
"Nothing, are you okay?" He asked concerned, but still giggling.  
"Fine, thanks," Cas could hear a small smile in Dean's voice.  
A little while later, a new fuse box was in and all set to go. _Already?_  
"How much do I owe you?" Cas asked reluctantly.  
"You...get the Friends and Family discount, we're friends right?" Dean secretly pleaded.  
"I-yes, I suppose so." _I SUPPOSE so, more like HELL yes with a side of DUH-I should chill out._  
Dean's smile lit up the somewhat dank atmosphere, _just, wow._  
"Thank you again, I don't know what I'd do without you." Cas looked down meekly.  
"Like I said, anytime."  
Castiel took that offer a bit too seriously.

* * *

On his way home from the pet store the next day, he eyed Dean's business card he stuck on the dashboard, _don't do it Castiel, self control._ He managed to hold back for a solid 43 seconds, _oh hell with it. I'm sure I can find something else wrong with my car. And if not, I'll make a problem._ Luckily it didn't come to that.  
He turned the car around the corner and made his way back to Benny's Auto Repair.

* * *

 ** _He's going to think you're a stalker._** Both men thought at around the same time.

  
Castiel slowly turned the door handle.

  
Dean walked into Fuzzy Friends, a bell chimed above him.

  
Castiel entered the auto-shop, "Hello...again." He called.

  
"Hi, welcome to Fuzzy Friends, can I help you?" A short girl with brown curls asked. Her name tag read, "Meg".

  
Cas walked around back to where Dean usually worked, a skinnier man sat in his usual spot. "Garth" was his name.  
"You're not Dean." Cas was confused.

  
"Is a-Castiel around?" Dean awkwardly questioned.  
"Nope, he's out right now, shift ended early. But I'm sure I could help you out." Garth offered.

  
Meg replied, "Sorry cowboy, he's already left." Dean's shoulders slumped, _oh._

  
"That won't be necessary, thank you. I just-" Castiel began.  
"Hey brother, why don't you come on over, I have a bone to pick with you." Benny cut him off.

  
"Oh, okay, thanks anyway." Dean started turning away.  
"Hold up, are you the mysterious mechanic, _Dean Winchester_ , that he's been talking about?" Meg stopped him.  
"Cas talks about me?" He replied hopefully.

  
"Y-yes? What is it Benny?" Castiel inquired.  
"I've been watching you boys, and I must say, Dean's never been happier to come to work." _He can't mean that..._  
Cas didn't know what to say, so Benny spoke for the both of them, "Now I'm not going to tell you that you should stop coming here with a new problem every day-it's good business-but there's gotta be a better way, don't you think?"  
Castiel stuttered, "I-I'm not sure w-what you mean." _Crap crap crap, he knows._  
"Oh sure you do, you've just got to build the courage to talk to him. I know for a fact he'd love to talk. And not about cars." Benny gave a crooked smile, but none were quite as _heart-melting_ as Dean's.

  
"Oh yeah, he talks about you _all the time_ , it's pretty gross if you ask me." Dean's cheeks reddened the slightest bit.  
He turned back to look at her and said, "You sure we're talking about the same Cas? Short, nerdy guy, trenchcoat?"  
_Why would such an interesting guy like him be interested in me?_  
Meg only grinned, "You know, he's probably looking for you right now, not that I care."  
"You think?" _Please be true, please be true._  
"Totally, now get out of here, go fetch your unicorn." Meg nearly pushed him out the door.

 _Unicorn? Whatever_ , it didn't matter, he had to get to Cas.

* * *

The auto repair shop door swung open, you could feel the tension building already.  
"Hey Benny I'm ba-" Dean's flecked green eyes met the shining blue ones of Cas, "-oh." Was all he could say.  
Castiel made his precious goofy smile, "Hello again." He waved. _Oh_ , Dean's heart practically dripped onto the floor.  
Benny snuck by, "Garth and I will just step outside a minute, won't we Garth?"  
"But I was just-oh, OHH. Yeah, right, just outside..." He gave two thumbs up. _Interns._

  
"So, what brings you here, my best customer? Lemme guess, flat tire? No, speedometer's gone haywire?" Dean joked.  
Castiel looked shyly at his feet, _I suppose I'm not as subtle as I thought._ "Actually, I wanted to talk."

  
Dean seemed okay with the idea, taking a seat, "Pull up a chair then." _I wanted to talk too._  
"Benny has brought it to my attention that I've been acting somewhat childish."  
_What the heck does that mean?_  "What do you mean?"  
"...About you." Castiel took a deep breathe, "Dean, I kept coming back so often so I could see you." _That's so adorable._  
"You know you could've just called, I left my number on the card." _What a dork._  
Castiel pulled out the slightly folded business card from his coat pocket, _he has it on him? Oh wow_ , "So it does."  
The two smitten kittens chuckle, Dean admits, "Actually, I traded the end of my shift with Garth so I could surprise you at your work. Clearly that didn't happen."  
"You did?" Cas's smile twinkled like a star, _oh man._  
Dean looked away, _I'm such a coward, but he's so awesome._  
"You know," there was a hint of mischief in the gleam of Castiel's eye, "I could show you around the store sometime, teach you a thing or two about household pets." He suggested, still grinning _like a doof._  
"That sounds perfect." Dean admitted.  
"How does tomorrow sound? And maybe after we could see a movie or something?" Cas practically held his breathe.  
"Awesome! It's a date." _Did I really just-did what I think just happen, happen?_  
They both stood up awkwardly, unsure of what to do next.  
"So, uh, I'll see you tomorrow then?" Castiel smiled softly.  
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."  
Dean didn't realize how close they were standing until he looked up, all he could see was a nose and piercing blue eyes. _Gahh..._  
Cas was nervous, Dean was nervous, Benny and Garth were betting each other from behind the door, but the two words that made everything seem okay, were spoken not a moment too soon.  
They were closer now, Dean grinned, making Cas beam. Dean looked him in the eyes and gently said, "Hello again."

  
_**I guess the rumors are true, God really does have a plan.** _


End file.
